What does Psalm 127:4 mean?

This compares children born when someone is young to arrows in the hand of a strong man. The symbolism is that of defense. A warrior with arrows has a means to protect himself and engage in battle. In broad terms, having more children means having more support and family as one ages. In the ancient world, this was especially important. There was no government retirement plan, so a person's survival through old age depended on his or her children. The original Hebrew uses a term which is literally "masculine," implying sons, but in this context refers to children in general.

Combined with verse 5, this statement has been used to suggest that God wants people to have the maximum number of children. That is not the point of this verse, though. Rather, the point is simply that children are a positive blessing from God. They should not be seen as burdens or problems to be solved.

Another humorous statement recommends: "raise your child so if someone asks if he is your son, he will stick out his chest and not his tongue." Children who obey and honor their parents as Ephesians 6:1–2 commands will enjoy the Lord's blessing in return (Ephesians 6:3). A close-knit family will not unravel when evildoers attack it. They will stand strong together. When the Jews returned from captivity to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, they came under attack, but worked by clans—family groupings—to complete the task (Nehemiah 3—4). Nehemiah encouraged the people to, "Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes" (Nehemiah 4:14). Strong Christian families can contribute their gifts and talents to the task of building up the church. Those families can be strong, even if circumstances are not exactly according to the typical family unit.